The Fidelius Charm
by Kiira
Summary: What I think happened before and after the Potters died. This is my first fic, please R&R!
1. Dumbledore's Idea

A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first fic on FanFiction. I hope you like it, even though there are so many HP fics that chances are, no one will ever find this story! Oh, and my disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter! I wish I did, but J.K. Rowling does. Too bad, I could use some money.  
  
Chapter 1: Dumbledore's Idea  
  
"Dumbledore, we just don't know what to do! We've run out of ideas," Lily said.  
  
"Voldemort could be looking for us right now, for all we know," James added. "We haven't heard anything since he killed the Prewetts."  
  
Dumbledore sighed, his clear blue eyes cast downward. He knew that his answer could be the difference between life and death.  
  
"There's one last thing that might work," Dumbledore said slowly.  
  
Lily and James Potter had come to Dumbledore to seek his help. Dumbledore had been the one that had told the Potters that Voldemort was after them. Why, no one knew. James only knew that he and Lily needed to do something quickly. Because once Voldemort decided to kill someone, they never escaped.  
  
Maybe, however, this time would be different.  
  
Dumbledore, James, and Lily were sitting in Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was common knowledge that Dumbledore was the one wizard with power to rival Voldemort's, and the Potters were hoping that Dumbledore could help them.  
  
"The Fidelius Charm may be your only chance," Dumbledore continued.  
  
"What's that?" James asked. Lily leaned forward, showing her interest.  
  
"It's a terribly complex spell," Dumbledore began explaining. "The spell magically conceals a secret inside a single person. The information, therefore, is impossible to find unless the Secret-Keeper chooses to reveal it. If we conceal the secret of your hiding place inside someone, Voldemort would never be able to find you."  
  
"That sounds perfect!" Lily exclaimed. "What do we need to do?"  
  
"I will perform the spell, but you need someone willing to carry your secret. I would be happy to," Dumbledore offered. He knew that someone close to Lily and James had been informing Voldemort of their movements, and he wanted to be absolutely sure that the Potters would be safe.  
  
"No, no, I don't want to burden you with this. Besides, you would be an obvious choice. What about Sirius Black?" James asked. "He'd die rather then tell where we were. He's planning on going into hiding himself, anyway."  
  
Lily nodded. "I agree. Sirius would be perfect."  
  
Dumbledore nodded sadly. "I suppose you've made up your minds, and it would be pointless for me to argue. Sirius will be fine." Dumbledore put the ends of his fingers together on top of his desk. "Bring him here tomorrow, and I will perform the spell. We have no time to waste."  
  
* * *  
  
The Potters met with Sirius a few hours later at their house and told him of the idea. Sirius liked it, but was slightly unsure. "You're positive that if I have your secret, no one can find you?"  
  
James nodded. "Yes, unless you tell them."  
  
Sirius ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. His normally handsome face was pale and strained. He found it hard to believe that James could be in such danger. The two of them had been best friends ever since they'd met a Hogwarts, and Sirius didn't know what he'd do if Voldemort found the Potters.  
  
"Wait," Sirius said suddenly. "What if You-Know-Who performed the Imperius Charm on me and forced me to tell him your secret? I'd never forgive myself."  
  
"But you're going into hiding, right?" Lily frowned.  
  
Sirius shook his head. "Most of You-Know-Who's followers know that I'm close to both of you, so he must know, too. But I've got an idea. Why don't you use Peter Pettigrew?"  
  
"Peter?" James and Lily repeated in unison. "Why on earth Peter?" James added.  
  
Sirius held up a hand. "No, you'll see, it's perfect. Who would suspect Peter? Practically everyone knows we're best friends, so You-Know-Who might guess that I would know where you were. But if Peter was your Secret- Keeper, who would believe that he'd have a clue?"  
  
Lily's jaw had dropped. "Sirius, that's bloody brilliant!" She turned to James, who was still looking unconvinced. "Really, think about it. It makes sense!"  
  
"I dunno . . . Peter? He wasn't exactly the most responsible kid at schooll, you know," James said. "Bit of a dimwit, really."  
  
Suddenly a yell split the conversation. Lily rushed into the other room and soon returned carrying a small baby. "There, there, Harry darling, it's okay."  
  
James's face lit up at the sight of his child. Harry was a year old, and the Potters were completely devoted to him. Sirius loved Harry too - in fact, he was Harry's godfather.  
  
"So, anyway, James, what do you think about Peter? I think it's a brilliant idea. Peter's one of your mates, anyway, right?" Lily asked James, cradling Harry in her arms.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you could call him a friend, but I still don't know." James replied.  
  
Sirius, who had been listening for the last few minutes, cut in. "C'mon, he's your mate, he wouldn't tell anyone! I know he's not all that responsible, but it'd be a great plan. And I'm not only saying that because it was my idea," he added, with a self-satisfied grin.  
  
Lily laughed. James thought for a moment, then answered, " I suppose that would work. Who would suspect Peter? Alright then, I say go for it."  
  
"Great, Prongs!" Sirius laughed. "Guess it's settled then! Could I come with you tomorrow, though?"  
  
"Of course!" James told him. Lily nodded her agreement. Sirius went to fetch his owl, and James wrote a note to Peter asking if he'd meet them at Dumbledore's office the next morning.  
  
That night, knowing that they could be safe from Voldemort the very next night, Lily and James slept better than they had in a very long time. 


	2. Performing the Fidelius Charm

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! Extra thank you to Fiery Wordess, because the review was so nice and besides, everyone else was my friend and they were going to say good things anyway. Except maybe Virginia, that's always an unknown. LOL! Anyway, sorry this is such a short chapter. I have a good idea for the next chapter, though.  
  
Enough gabbing, you came for the story! So here goes:  
  
Chapter 2: Performing The Fidelius Charm  
  
Early the next morning, Lily, James, and Sirius had all gathered in Dumbledore's office. Soon afterwards, Peter Pettigrew sauntered in, trying to look more superior than he really was. "What are we meeting for, James, Sirius?" he asked, obviously trying to keep his nervousness out of his voice. Lily noticed that he had ignored her, and she frowned.  
  
"No need to be nervous, Wormtail!" Sirius greeted him, using Peter's old nickname. "We just have a question for you."  
  
"I didn't say I was nervous," Wormtail muttered as James began to speak.  
  
"Peter, Lily and I are going to attempt to hide from Voldemort using the Fidelius Charm, and we'd like you to be our Secret-Keeper," James said.  
  
"S-secret-Keeper?" Peter repeated.  
  
Lily spoke up. "Yes, the Fidelius Charm is a spell that hides a secret inside of a person's soul. We'd like you to be our Secret-Keeper and conceal our whereabouts from You-Know-Who. Would you?"  
  
Peter's eyes widened. "I'd . . . I'd be honored to carry your secret! How soon will the spell be performed?"  
  
"Right now, if you're ready," came a familiar voice from the doorway. The group turned to see Dumbledore walking in. "Are you prepared to carry the secret?"  
  
Peter seemed slightly caught off guard at seeing Dumbledore, but he recovered quickly. "Yes, yes, I am!"  
  
"Good," Dumbledore said. "Please come and stand in front of my desk, would you, Peter?"  
  
Peter stumbled his way over to Dumbledore's desk, trying to hide his excitement. Oh, he'd be honored, all right. Beyond his wildest dreams . . .  
  
"Very good." Dumbledore would never admit it, but he was extremely nervous about performing the charm. He'd been the one that had informed the Potters that Voldemort was after them. One of his spies had warned him.  
  
Dumbledore drew his wand. "Fides secernere!" he said forcefully. Dumbledore's wand was almost a blur as it completed a few intricate movements. There was a bright flash of brilliantly white light and Lily, James, and Sirius closed their eyes. When they opened them, there was a baseball-sized bluish-white orb floating just above Peter's outstretched palm. With trembling fingers, Peter enclosed the orb in his hand. The light subsided, and the room became normal once more.  
  
"Brilliant!" Sirius cried, breaking the silence. Lily laughed and James grinned. The Potters hadn't felt this good in a long time. It felt as though a weight had been lifted off of their shoulders. They were safe now!  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, that should do it. That spell takes a powerful bit of magic, but I believe that everything went very well."  
  
"Well, of course, you're only the most powerful wizard in Britain!" Sirius said with a grin. Dumbledore modestly waved off the praise.  
  
"But, really, thank you so much, Dumbledore! And you too, Peter," Lily said fervently. Peter smiled as he mentally congratulated himself. This could be the best thing he'd done in a while. If only the Potters knew what they had just done.  
  
"Well, we're all set, then! Thank you, both of you, and you too, Sirius. Not that you need any more praise to fill that big head of yours," James teased. Sirius took a mock swipe at James's head.  
  
Finally, the Potters, Sirius, and Peter all filed out of Dumbledore's office. Lily and James were looking forward to a peaceful night. Sirius was relieved that his friends were finally safe. Peter, however, had big plans for that night . . . 


	3. The Betrayal

A/N: Thanks so much, everyone, for the reviews! (Virginia, we talked about your review. . . ) Also, thank you for all of the ideas! As for Dumbledore performing the spell, that's a very good point and thank you for pointing it out, but I have an idea - I just hope it fits in with everything and is accepted by everyone! Then again, if no one likes it, I can always change it. Sorry it took so long to update. I'm really pleased that people are reading and reviewing my story, so thank you so much again for your support and constructive criticism! I never thought that anyone would read my story, and I love hearing everyone's comments on it. Well, this is an awful long author's note, so here goes!  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 3: The Betrayal  
  
Peter was beside himself with pleasure. He fought to maintain composure as Lord Voldemort came and stood before him.  
  
"So, Wormtail, you have information for me?" Voldemort asked calmly. Knowing Wormtail, it was bound to be useless, but he may as well listen.  
  
"Oh, yes, my lord! I have information you will find very useful!" Peter said hurriedly, afraid of being punished.  
  
"Then what is it?" Voldemort asked, becoming slightly irritated. As if Peter ever had useful information.  
  
"My lord, I know where the Potters are hiding! They made me their Secret- Keeper, and I can tell you where they are!" Peter babbled.  
  
Voldemort's surprise only showed briefly on his face before he disguised it with his trademark calm and control. "So, the Potters have used the Fidelius charm and made you their Secret-Keeper? How very foolish." Voldemort smiled maliciously as he leaned into Wormtail's face. "Then where are they?"  
  
Wormtail began shaking with excitement, his watery blue eyes wide. "The Potters are at their own house in Godric's Hollow! They think they're safe! They do not suspect anything!"  
  
The Dark Lord stepped back and laughed with sadistic pleasure. "I must admit, Wormtail, that I never thought you could be this useful! I will kill the baby myself," Voldemort added, seeing Peter's hopeful face. "You'd probably screw everything up. Besides, I want the satisfaction of killing him. I believe that Halloween will be the perfect night." He turned, then glanced back at Wormtail. "The Potters had better not suspect a thing. I want to see the shock on their faces." Voldemort walked out of the room.  
  
* * *  
  
Sirius was lying on his bed, staring moodily at the ceiling. He was torn. Remus Lupin was one of his best friends, one of the Marauders, but no one knew who could be a spy for Voldemort anymore. Even a great friend and man like Lupin could have been sucked in by Voldemort. Sirius couldn't risk telling Lupin about switching Secret-Keepers. Lupin believed that Sirius was the Secret-Keeper. Sirius did nothing to convince Lupin otherwise.  
  
Sirius badly wanted to trust Lupin, however. They had been friends ever since they'd met at Hogwarts, and never before had they kept secrets from one another. But in the real world, things were vastly different than they had been at Hogwarts. These times called for secrets and conspiracies. Even keeping secrets from your best friends.  
  
'Hopefully,' Sirius thought wistfully, 'soon all of this will be over and I can trust Lupin - and everyone else - again.' Unfortunately for him, Sirius had no idea just how soon all of this would be over.  
  
* * *  
  
Soon it was Halloween, and the Potters had been living with the Fidelius Charm for about a week. Lily and James had been happy and had felt freer than they had in a long while.  
  
Halloween night found them cuddled on the couch. Harry was sleeping upstairs in his crib, and the Potters were relaxing in their living room.  
  
Lily leaned against James. "D'you know, I almost feel guilty feeling this safe," she contemplated seriously. "The McKinnons were attacked just a few days ago. They were such great wizards..." Lily's voice broke and a tear trickled silently from one of her bright green eyes.  
  
James gently wiped the tear off her cheek with his thumb. "I know, I know. But we have to think about Harry. What's most important right now is keeping him safe." He absent-mindedly stroked Lily's dark red hair. "Don't worry, everything will be fine," James said, without really believing it.  
  
Lily looked up into James's face. Behind his glasses, hazel eyes looked tired and worried, even though James tried to hide it. He wanted to be strong for his family, no matter what.  
  
"I love you, James," Lily said softly in James's ear. She played with a tendril of black hair at the nape of James's neck.  
  
"I love you, too," James whispered back, pulling her closer to him. They sat like that for a few minutes. Lily's breathing became slow and steady as she almost fell asleep. Suddenly, there was a snap like a whip crack. James stood up and peered out of the window. Lily sat up and grabbed his wrist.  
  
"What was that?" Lily asked in a strangled whisper. It had sounded like someone Apparating or Disapparating, but who would be visiting them this late at night?  
  
James released himself from Lily's grasp and stepped over to the picture window to look out. His expression of slight curiosity suddenly changed to one of pure terror. Lily stared at him. James spun around. "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"  
  
Lily uttered a gasp and tears sprang to her eyes. "James! No! I'm not leaving you alone!"  
  
James covered the space between them in a few strides and gripped Lily's arms. "I love you, Lily," he said hoarsely. He pressed his lips to hers in a hurried kiss. Lily clutched his hands. "Now run! Get Harry! GO!"  
  
Lily turned and frantically stumbled from the room. What had gone wrong? Why was Voldemort here? As she sprinted up the stairs to her bedroom, where Harry was sleeping peacefully, Lily heard the front door burst open. A cackle of high-pitched laughter met her ears. Next was a shout of "AVADA KEDAVRA!" and the sound of someone collapsing onto the floor. Lily gasped and sobbed openly through the stitch in her chest as she ran down the hallway. Not James...He couldn't be...  
  
Lily burst into her bedroom and rushed to Harry's crib. Her little angel was curled next to a teddy bear, fast asleep. Lily was so terrified that her hands were shaking too much to do anything, but she tried to stay in control. She leaned down and kissed his forehead, and was just about to pick Harry up - though she had no idea what she could do or where she could go - when the Dark Lord strode into her bedroom.  
  
Lily screamed and spun around, trying futilely to block Harry from Voldemort's sight. Voldemort just smiled cruelly. Lily began sobbing again.  
  
"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" she gasped through her tears.  
  
Voldemort's eyebrows met and he frowned. He only wanted to kill Harry, but if she didn't move, what choice would he have? "Stand aside, you silly girl," he growled. Lily stood her ground. "Stand aside, now."  
  
"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please - I'll do anything!" Lily repeated, sobbing out of control. Her heart was racing wildly in her chest.  
  
Voldemort was losing patience, fooling with this stupid girl. "Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!"  
  
Lily had never been this frightened in all her life, but the only thought she had was to protect her baby. He was all she had left. "Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-" Lily broke off as Voldemort slowly pulled a wand from behind him, smiling sadistically again. "Not Harry!" she screamed. "Please...have mercy...have mercy..." Lily fell to her knees as her legs gave out. He couldn't take Harry! He couldn't! This was all wrong! The life she had planned...with James...and Harry...  
  
Voldemort laughed and pointed his wand at her. Lily saw and screamed. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort cried. There was a flash of brilliant green light, and Lily fell on the floor.  
  
Voldemort kicked her body to the side and stepped to Harry's crib. He looked down at the tiny baby. "As if you could ever defeat me!" Voldemort muttered scornfully. He held up his wand, relishing the moment. "I will never be defeated, least of all by you."  
  
Laughing, the Dark Lord raised his wand. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" he shouted. Immediately he realized that something was wrong. Green light filled his vision, and then Voldemort knew no more.  
  
* * *  
  
A/N: Sorry, I know, another author's note. I hope you liked this chapter, I tried to do it justice. Once again, sorry for the slow update. I didn't want to kill Lily and James! Well, chapter 4 is coming asap, I promise. 


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